


A Passerby

by booktick



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Conversations, Bisexual Hawkeye Pierce, Drinking to Cope, Drunken Confessions, Implied Relationships, M/M, POV Sidney, Sad and Happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-11-28 22:52:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18214745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booktick/pseuds/booktick
Summary: "What's got you so tongue tied, Pierce?"Hawkeye blew a raspberry, "Tongue tied? Says who? I'll tongue them myself."





	A Passerby

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of this franchise.

* * *

The day had been plenty beautiful, aside from the war of course. The wind caught the heat that tried to sneak in pass the tents, ruffled the occasional set of hair on people's heads and not a cloud in the sky. It was bright and blue up there, and not any sign that there was ongoing combat in the surrounding areas. Even Sidney could mistake it for peace.

As he strode the 4077th, hands in his pockets and a small smile upon his lips. There was the occasional greet from those rushing on by, getting busy with work or something a little less formal. He hadn't heard any announcements of incoming wounded, a surprise for this camp no doubt.

He wondered when the last time it had been so...at ease here.

As he was lost in thought, he came upon an interesting sight. There, sat upon a crate, elbow to knee and fist to chin, like The Thinker, was none other than Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce, but Sidney called him friend. His small smile now a big one, growing as he inched closer to the fellow doctor. He tilted his head a fraction once he reached Hawkeye's side, watching for a few more breaths before he decided it would be best for some sort of breaking of the ice.

Hawkeye, who seemed so entranced by the air, with furrowed brows and a wrinkled nose to top, did not make any move at the shadow that from today's brightness. Sidney leaned in just enough he could smell the reek of whatever it was Hawkeye must have bathed in, strong and hit the nose too fast. It could be cologne maybe, though he could never be sure--it definitely screamed Klinger to him.

"Hey there, Sailor," Sidney greeted, "Thinkin' hard or hardly thinkin'?" It was meant as a joke.

Hawkeye's eyebrows raised in a slow and precise manner, eyelids lifted as if waking from a night's slumber. It took the younger man even longer to lift his head and meet Sidney's eyes. Sidney leaned back, standing up proper, his own eyebrows raised in return. He kept his smile though, warm as ever.

"Oh-" Hawkeye blinked away the fuzz, immediately rising to his feet.

He swallowed his worry, "Hey." Sidney glanced him over.

"Sid--Hey. I didn't know you...were uh, comin' by?" His eyebrows came together again, buried between the eyes, "Did I?"

"I dunno. Did you?"

"No...No, sorry--" Hawkeye ran fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp as he turned away, "Sorry. I was just...thinking too hard. I do that sometimes." The laugh isn't as loud as Sidney knows it can be, "Get stuck in my own head."

Sidney glanced at the fingers in Hawkeye's hair for a moment, "Anything I can do to help?"

"What-No, no, no. Don't worry about it. It's nothin'." The younger man waved a hand in the air.

Not that Sidney took much comfort in that response, "Nothin', huh? Alright." Nothing was always something with Hawkeye Pierce. 

"Come on. I'll get you a drink. We can mingle and catch up." It takes everything in Sidney not to remark upon it when Hawkeye placed a hand on his lower back.

It isn't a long trip and yet it seemed like forever until they reach the bar. Before Sidney knows it, from the window, the sun had set and the moon finally greeted all in Rosie's Bar, including him and Hawkeye Pierce. They had spent the better part of the afternoon enraptured by one another and, momentarily, forgot their duties. With three drinks later, Hawkeye Pierce was a hyena. Sidney could barely hold it together himself.

Hawkeye's hand slapped upon his clothed breast, howling in joy at something Sidney had said. He figured it must have been something terribly funny though he was a bit fuzzy on the details and about to bottom out on his fourth drink. Hawkeye tossed an arm around him, tugging him close, could even feel the man's breath on his throat. Sidney felt practically naked around Hawkeye--half the time he actually was.

Sidney enjoyed Hawkeye enjoying himself, enjoying them, enjoying _life_. This had been a good moment for them, drinking and talking and being mostly alone together. And at least the drinks here were easier to swallow than the Swamp's. He smacked his lips and ran his lips over them before thinking clever to remark upon. His eyes possessed a little twinkle in them as he tilted his head back. Hawkeye grinned in return at him, the sort of look that makes the corner of the eyes wrinkle and nose too.

"What's got you so tongue tied, Pierce?"

Hawkeye blew a raspberry, "Tongue tied? Says who? I'll tongue them myself."

"I bet you would." Sidney nodded, eyes getting a little friendly perhaps but most get a little too friendly in Rosie's every now and again.

"Ahhhh." Hawkeye kept his arm around him but looked away, grin sliding off like a runny egg on stone, "It's nothin'."

Sidney leans in this time, voice so soft and gentle, "Doesn't seem like nothin'." He somehow sets his now finished drink on the bar's counter.

There's an uncomfortable silence after that. Perhaps, in his inebriated state, he had pushed too hard. He never wanted to put Hawkeye in a place where he couldn't get out. So, he leaned away, placing an elbow on the bar's counter and cheek on his open palm instead. His eyelids drooped while his stare remained fixed on Hawkeye. It took a few more breaths and swallows of courage from Hawkeye's own drink, for the younger man to finally look back at Sidney.

"I just missed you was all." Hawkeye shrugged. 

Sidney raised his eyebrows at that, "That's all?"

"Yeah." Hawkeye nodded, "We don't see so much of each other, y'know? And when we do..." a similar empty glass was placed beside Sidney's on the bar's counter.

"And when we do it's not typically a social call."

"Yeah." It must have felt like the heaviest thing in the world to say no doubt.

It was Sidney's turn to look away and take a deep breath. He pulled his elbow off the counter, placing his hands on his lap and sighed. He nodded because what else could be really done? War was war. They just happened to be stuck in the middle of one together but not _really_ together. It must be exhausting for Hawkeye. It was for Sidney.

"At least we still have poker night, huh?" He reached out, his hand gripped Hawkeye's shoulder and if someone wanted to be nosy, they would have noticed how Sidney's thumb caressed at the flesh of Hawk's neck. 

"Cheers to that," Hawkeye agreed.


End file.
